Second Time Around
Chapter Two: Counting Down
Pepper Potts was perched at the foot of her bed, one long leg leisurely crossed over the other, while she pondered clothing choices and potential flower free dates with her elbow resting clumsily upon her knee, and a lithe hand propped thoughtfully beneath her chin. The small white alarm clock that sat beside her bed upon a sturdy wooden nightstand table informed her that it was nearly six-thirty, and she had exactly thirty measly minutes to get ready before he came to fetch her and whisk her away to a night of unpredictability and mayhem. She was on the verge of simply shutting her eyes, reaching into her closet, and randomly pulling out whatever was locked in her grasp, vowing to recite some horribly lame excuse if it just happened to be something that fell into the stuffy and professional category. She just didn't do casual in the company of her boss.
She was always telling herself that it had played an important role in her remaining in his employ for as many years as she had, as she wasn't willing or eager to resort to drastic measures to reveal more skin than necessary, especially under the scrutiny of that wandering gaze of his. Pepper was never hired to be a distraction, and that certainly wasn't about to change now. Whatever intentions he truly had at heart with this pointless little excursion of his, she fully intended to get to the bottom of it before the night was over, and she would hold herself to it because she always kept her word. But that wasn't really the whole truth in terms of what was really inconveniencing her and harassing her subconscious ever since he'd initially come forward and suggested it. She was fond of distance for the sole purpose of preventing herself from being caught in the crossfire and getting hurt when he suddenly decided she was no longer worth another look. Granted, she'd seen far less of that Tony since Afghanistan, but she wasn't about to take any chances or make any bets just yet.
It was always best to be direct and precise, which is why she ended up choosing the safe option, and going with washed out flared blue jeans and an unadorned white t-shirt that skillfully highlighted her chest and hips without overcompensating said attributes. She yanked on matching white socks, and opted for a pair of sky blue colored sneakers with navy blue trim that she often reserved for routine housework when she wasn't busy juggling Tony's meetings and making sure he signed more than seventy-five percent of the paperwork that came across his desk. Maybe he would, in due course, come to see that his social security number had more digits in it than just the number five, and maybe... No. She quickly blocked the intrusive thoughts from her brain when she realized they were hedging on something that was far surpassing the civilized boundaries of a complicated relationship she still yearned to find answers to, and she dismissed it without further consideration while she carefully pulled her red hair up into a loose bun.
The sound of a persistent car horn was enough to startle her out of her reverie completely, and her head snapped up from tying her shoes to spare a brief glance at the clock again. She swore under her breath when she saw the number seven glaring back at her in bright green, and rose from the bed to slap the black watch from her dresser across her slender wrist, as she nervously blew her bangs out of her eyes. She hoped against hope that he decided to stay comfortably seated in the car waiting for her, because the last thing she needed was a highly impatient Tony Stark embarrassing the living daylights out of her by knocking on her door- for no other reason than to pester her profusely to get the show on the road. Her apartment was nowhere near as luxurious as his mansion, and the building also wasn't accustomed to visitors who were billionaires and built suits out of gold titanium alloy while unabashedly confessing their heroic identities to the world at large.
She fought to remember where she'd left the light windbreaker she had been set on lugging along with her in case it got chilly later on, but couldn't for the life of her seem to recall where or when she'd last seen it. She raced to the tiny closet near the cramped foyer, and rapidly shoved a series of empty hangers back and forth so she could get to and part the conglomeration of coats that hung to the right, diving into the diverse collection as swiftly as she could. Unfortunately, she failed to recover it before she heard the unceremonious sound of a fist lightly tapping her door a total of three times, unable to withhold suppressing the disapproving sigh that escaped her lips.
"Pepper? Pepper, if you're in there we've gotta go." He cleared his throat then, and lowered his voice, confident that she could still hear him. "Please also let the record state that I have come fully prepared to grovel if you're still having second thoughts."
At least he wasn't being too overly obnoxious about it, and for that she was eternally grateful and had to give him credit where credit was due. Maybe he really was evolving. Into what, she wasn't exactly sure, but she liked it. She reluctantly gave up on her search for the windbreaker that was apparently missing in action under mysterious circumstances, and walked over to unlock the door and remove the chain from its latch above it, allowing him entrance to her humble abode. He had on a baseball cap and a pair of dark sunglasses that efficiently disguised his familiar countenance, his body clothed in a black sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up. His navy blue jeans were slightly worn and lived in, and wouldn't prompt a second glance, while a beige pair of work boots resided upon his feet with the laces haphazardly tied. A set of car keys dangled freely from his left hand, as he calmly reached up to remove the glasses from the bridge of his nose, giving her a charming smile that touched his warm brown eyes. "It's a conundrum, really. You're almost ridiculously on time during the work week, and yet when it comes to extracurricular activities, you appear to be anything but." He only shook his head, indifferently professing a shrug. "Huh...I honestly, well I honestly couldn't have called that. Really didn't see it coming. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Pepper has a slight kink in her Potts."
"I just need to grab something warmer," she informed him apologetically, trying not to lose herself in his appealing grin. Her first impulse was to return the friendly gesture with one of her own. "You know, just in case it gets cold while-"
"Not a problem," he murmured, "although I'm guessing it probably wouldn't be a good time to mention the fact that I've already got a blanket tucked away in the trunk of my car now, would it?"
"No." And just like that, he was back, and she was catching a faint glimpse of the old Tony again. But all things considered, she was almost sure the context of his reply had been sincere enough despite it's more obvious implications. "I didn't mean that kind of cold, Tony. I meant-"
"Relax, Potts, I'm not trying to hit on you. I know what you meant, all right? That said...and, mind you, this is just food for thought- should you ever decide you want to take me up on my offer and cuddle, it's still on the table. Like I said, food for thought. I don't bite, and it's a great way to generate body heat," he added, raising a highly suggestive dark eyebrow.
"Tony," she chastised softly, rolling her eyes.
"Or so I've heard," he supplied hastily. "Believe it or not, I haven't tried everything, which, hey, I know is obviously too weird to comprehend right now because of the way my reputation has a nasty habit of preceding me, but I-"
"That's fairly self explanatory when you routinely prefer a birthday suit to actual clothing," she brightly declared, batting her lashes at him in an amiable manner. "Look, be that as it may, I'm pretty sure I have absolutely no intention of taking you up on that offer."
"You know, you really shouldn't put all of your eggs in one basket just yet," he advised, "because sometimes people can surprise you."
"What people?" she asked curiously, her expression falling into one of apparent confusion.
"Besides," he continued, rambling on of his own accord, and successfully avoiding her question, "if there just happened to be some extenuating circumstances that intervened beyond my control, you can't possibly trust me to keep my hands to myself now, can you?"
"Mm, and if that were the case, I'm actually pretty sure you wouldn't have any hands left," Pepper retorted smoothly. "But if you promise to behave yourself, Mr. Stark, you can come in. I swear I'll just be another minute."
"Duly noted." Tony gladly accepted her invitation when she motioned for him to follow her inside, agilely shutting the door behind him, and trailing her while she went through the kitchen and ended up in the compact living room. He watched her turn her head from right to left, and disappear into what he presumed was her bedroom, scratching her head in what was purported to be extreme puzzlement. Shrugging partly from an ingrained restlessness on his part, he started to attempt to make himself comfortable on the sparsely arranged collection of furniture the small space boasted, and his gaze suddenly widened as he leapt back out of what could only be perceived as unadulterated shock. "Dear God, Potts, what is that?"
Pepper peeked out from around the corner, and saw him sizing up the object in question with fairly palpable suspicion, a hand summarily clamping down across her mouth to muffle an incoming giggle. The pattern was a striking combination of brown and red plaid with sewn on pastel colored polka dot patches that had been used to repair the larger imperfections, giving it a very ghastly, yet lived in appearance. She had spent more nights on it than she could count, and simply couldn't bear to part with it, despite it being so totally and undeniably outdated. She imagined it was no different than a cramped basement piled sky high with scattered bits and pieces of random junk that had seen better days several decades ago, because it was often impossible to part with items that held so much significance. "I believe it's called a couch."
"No, it's an abomination, because I've seriously never seen anything like it. Do you actually sit here? Do you even want to sit here? It doesn't...well, it doesn't exactly match the rest of the decor. Not that I'm an expert or anything, but it's unequivocally cramping your style."
She gathered a coral colored hoodie into her arms, steepling her fingers together, as she gestured toward the rundown accessory. "It belonged to a roommate of mine in college. I've...I guess it's kind of grown on me, and I think it...well, I think it adds character. Not all of us can afford top of the line, Tony, even with generous salaries. It has some nice sentimental value, and it's really the best for just crashing after a busy day at the office. Trust me, I'd know, as I've already had plenty of those."
"Did you forget to mention a stiff neck? Because working for me doesn't exactly encourage that, unless there was a memo and I missed it, but this probably would. It can't be healthy. Are you also aware that there are several holes in this cushion alone that have clearly been here since the dawn of the fire making caveman? It's only appealing if the nine to five shift is an occupational hazard."
"C'mon," she urged, resisting the sudden need to roll her eyes at him again, as she loosely tied the hoodie around her waist. "We better get going if we still want to get a decent parking spot."
"I could buy you a new one," he eagerly volunteered, while he walked with her to the foyer once more, his visage suddenly riddled with a new sense of hope. "We could go down to that place on-"
"If you tried it, you'd like it," she insisted, failing to catch the way in which her words could be easily misinterpreted. However, it was common knowledge by now that the man never missed a beat. "That is to say..."
Tony merely flashed her a subtle smile in response, as he happily held the door open for her and waited for Pepper to exit the apartment. He then placidly watched her secure her lock with a set of keys she had clumsily fished out of a small black purse once they'd found themselves standing out in the long and narrow hallway. "Is that a proposition, Miss Potts?"
Damn him, she thought. Pepper knew her face was probably as red as a beet by now, and there was no logical way she could try and justify it without making a complete imbecile out of herself in the process. "Impossible and unrelenting," she finally interjected.
"What, I can't just pick one of those? I have to be both?"
"You keep that up, and I'll find more papers for you to sign. On your days off," she then added smugly, convincing herself she might have just outsmarted him with that comment and managed to throw him a bit off balance. She soon discovered there was no such luck.
"Well, genius never sleeps, Pepper, so that's hardly a threat." He crossed his arms over his chest as they began heading to the elevator located a few feet away, extending a hand towards it and sharply hitting the button with his thumb. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw his assistant discreetly retrieve her Blackberry from her purse, her focus slightly diverted when she began to busy herself with it as the doors opened up and they stepped inside. He indicated the destination for the ground floor, but ultimately decided he wasn't about to just sit back and settle for the silent treatment on the ride down. "Anyway, it's irrelevant. Why are you still trying to get out of going with me tonight?"
"Yes, but I...what?" She started a bit, having been noticeably caught off guard, the muscles in her neck stiffening. When she turned to look at him, she discerned that his expression came off more despondent than indignant, and she immediately felt a tinge of regret. Pepper couldn't deny that it bothered her, but she was actually more than just a little addled being here alone with him in a tiny, cramped elevator where it wasn't entirely business as usual, and she'd needed to find a reasonably legitimate outlet to distract and distance herself. So she'd fundamentally gone for the type of outlet that, under normal circumstances, wouldn't require the burden of a second thought- but evidently, once again, she'd had no luck there, either. "Tony, that's ridiculous."
"Is it?" he challenged.
"It is," she pressed, her voice raising itself an octave. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head on the way over here? Because I would be able to understand this a lot better if you had."
"I'm more concerned about your head," he admitted quietly. "You aren't on the clock, Potts, and if you think for one second that I'm just going to let it slide when you deliberately go out of your way to try to avoid having a good time with me, then you've been seriously misinformed. I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate all communication devices before we leave the premises. Consider it yet another occupational hazard."
"Confiscate? Are you crazy?" Pepper hissed, drawing it behind her back and out of his reach. "I own it, Tony, it's mine, and as per the stipulations of my contract, I am in no way obligated, nor does it specifically state that you, my employer, can take said device from me without my consent."
"Wow, you actually read that thing? The whole thing? You didn't just- who literally takes the time to do that? It's ludicrous. You know, if I weren't so displeased with you right now, I might actually find it strangely alluring." Tony curled an index finger towards him, adamant in his request that she give him the piece of property. He was forever reminding himself in the back of his mind that this wasn't a date, and was therefore forced to hold back a great deal more than he wanted, whether he was effectively at ease with those terms or not. He wasn't. Not by a long shot. But there were boundaries, and he couldn't risk crossing the line, no matter how badly she was currently tempting him without even wholly realizing it. "Hand it over."
"I will not," she stated stubbornly.
"This could get messy," he warned, only half kidding, as he advanced a single step in her direction.
Thankfully, the doors had pried themselves apart at long last, and Pepper rushed into the safety of the lobby, breathing an intense sigh of relief as she briskly slipped the Blackberry into the confines of her purse. She slung the bag over her right shoulder, and placed both hands out in front of her, backing herself into the nearest wall in what was presumed to be a pose of submission. The elderly doorman was facing away from them on the other side of the double doors positioned at the front entrance, and she deliberated making a run for it, mentally speculating the results of the outcome. "I vote for a compromise," she eventually brought forth.
"Interesting," Tony warily mused. "Okay, I'm listening, go."
"I'll only use it if I have to reschedule a meeting, arrange a press conference, or for, you know...other things."
His head cocked to the side in bafflement, his eyes narrowing with incredulity. "What exactly are you implying? What other things?"
"Well, if you meet someone there you won't have to-"
"By someone you mean a woman," he deftly addressed, his excitement for the evening rapidly deflating.
"Yes, and I'll need to call Happy to come and get me so you can take her home and-"
"Ravish her, while you present her with her dry cleaning free of charge in the morning, and then attempt to hustle her out with no explanation necessary?" he finished again, his brows winging up. "Yeah, that about covers it, doesn't it? And I mean...old habits die hard, so I'll give you that. But tell me, Potts, because I'm suddenly having a bit of a relapse here. When was the last time I actually did this, let alone thought about doing it?"
She slowly raised her chin and held her head high, boldly meeting the piercing stare he'd surreptitiously pinned her with, valiantly rising to the occasion. While her job description was quite familiar with the repetitive task of taking out the boss's 'trash,' she had never opted to involve herself in the more personal state of his affairs. "It's none of my business," she replied curtly.
"That's not what I asked, Pepper."
"Wasn't it?" she found herself snapping back, and nearly repented. "You don't pay me enough to spread gossip, Mr. Stark."
"I don't pay you enough, period," Tony concurred, giving her a reassuring grin, as he rocked back upon the balls of his feet. "We'll have to fix that, won't we? In the meantime, however, I think I'm starting to understand this whole thing about how you wanted Happy to tag along, and well...I guess I'd be lying if I said my feelings weren't hurt. Yep, more than a little, although you can't blame a guy for trying, right?"
"That wasn't- I didn't...I wasn't going to ask him to follow us around, I just wanted-"
"Yeah, I get it, I really do, and for what it's worth, it was hardly my intention to abandon you once we got there. I wouldn't have asked you to accompany me in the first place if I'd planned to shake you off and ditch you. My point is, it's water under the bridge, okay? I'm not mad." He wanted to tell her that she meant way too much to him to ever let that happen, but such a candid declaration might have been pushing it too far at this point. There was a time and place for everything, and right now his timing really sucked- or at least it was the general consensus if he factored in just how badly he'd gone and screwed this dilemma up tenfold. "So if you want to stay home and mope in your pajamas with a poorly written romance novel in the dark, it's entirely up to you, and I won't begrudge that. I'd like to, but I won't. Fair?"
Pepper nodded. "Yes, and I still accept."
His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Would it be too much if I hugged you right now? I promise I won't try and cop a feel."
"I'm sorry I overreacted," she disclosed, unable to resist a smile at his request in spite of intentionally ignoring it. "It's just- you've never asked me to do anything like this before, and I didn't know...I wasn't sure..." She trailed off awkwardly, blushing once more. "Wow, I'm just not cut out for small talk today, am I?"
"Yep, it's true, you're babbling," he reciprocated with a wink. "Must be my irresistible magnetism."
"Like I said, impossible and unrelent-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he cut her off, instead holding out an arm as he waited for her to grasp it. "Shall we?"
She took it in both of her hands, heading with him towards the exit, as she grinned well out of viewing range. "Lead the way, Mr. Stark."
"Thank you, Miss Potts."
He even graciously and patiently held the car door ajar for her as she stepped into it, shutting it tightly behind him once her willowy frame was compactly tucked inside. There was an overwhelming bout of silence on the drive over, and despite the heated conversation they'd engaged in back at her apartment, Pepper couldn't help but further attribute it to a great big bundle of nerves. There was so much more that was open to discussion when the two of them weren't hiding behind a desk in an office, or a paper and a pen, and it shook her to the core.
She sat snuggly in the passenger seat of Tony's Audi, the cool breeze ruffling her hair and sending chills up the base of her spine in spite of the mild temperatures, causing her to involuntarily shiver when she least expected it. The Santa Monica Pier would have been closer and more convenient, but she figured her boss didn't want to chance the possibility that too many people would recognize him and draw their anticipated enjoyment to a standstill, thus opting for something a bit more secluded along the outskirts. The sky reflected the trials and tribulations of the tumultuous rollercoaster she'd spent the past few hours metaphorically riding, and was lulling itself to sleep in hues of deep red and purple, blanketing them with the telltale signs of impending darkness.
She risked a fleeting glance at Tony, and observed the way his strong hands rested firmly upon the wheel, occasionally drumming along to a beat that apparently only he could hear. Pepper knew her words had cut deeper than either of them had fully realized yet, and she wasn't sure how that particular development was going to affect him, let alone their remarkably complicated relationship on both a personal and professional level. He was perfectly within his rights to cater to any woman he wanted, and she knew it was awfully petty of her to wish it weren't so. Pepper hated being jealous, but she also feared getting hurt. It was a fairly lethal combination. It all boiled down to a matter of trust, and really, her boss didn't owe her anything, much less a cordial apology for years of lewd behavior that she had tolerated only because she'd managed to catch a number of rare glimpses beneath the facade and respect the man she knew he was capable of becoming. The man she was starting to see more of since his three month plight in Afghanistan.
She almost bemoaned her lack of judgment regarding the flowers. Almost.